2024 Gladiator 4xe Supposedly

[ShadowsPapa]

Not to sure about that video.

We have the 4xe wrangler. Its good for getting groceries in the electric sense of it. Ill stick with my Diesel thanks

We have a 2023 JLU Rubicon 4xe - the torque is awesome and blows my 3.6 JT away. It's got GUTS.
We recently drove it to Florida, around that state, and then back again. The trip back was non-stop except for gas and restroom breaks. Wind was in our faces the whole trip back so MPG wasn't so great coming back, but right around 20 or so going down with no wind. We put over 3,000 miles on it in about a week. It was great in the really heavy traffic around Nashville and Atlanta, and where the traffic was stop and go as you could go a long ways and not use any fuel to speak of. Smooth as heck.
The torque is impressive, very driveable.
If they do the JT in a 4xe, AND if it can tow and have the same payload my current JT has, I'll be looking.

In my experience any car video that features big block letters, lots of exclamation marks, or some moron making stupid faces or gestures is going to be pure trash. Don’t feed the bots and morons with your clicks!

And that's what I think about ANY YT video with the faces, gestures and big letters like they are all about getting attention. I don't need to see some jerk giving close-ups of the pores in his skin or some stupid faces. I see that, I exit the video.

And finally, the idiots don't even know it's NOT a "four ex ee" it's pronounced "four BY ee" like 4 by 4 but it's 4 by E.
Good grief, someone trying to explain what's going on and he gets the NAME wrong?

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[ShadowsPapa]

Here's a problem I see with a 4xe (4 by E) Gladiator -
Payload
Towing capacity
Lack of storage
The Wrangler has NO storage under the back seats as that's all battery and electric equipment.
Fold the rear seats forward and the cargo area is not flat. The rear seats, folded flat, sit about 8" higher than the floor of the cargo area due to the - yeah - batteries and electric equipment which spill over slightly to the area under the seat backs and so on.
So, where will the batteries be with a JT? Hmmm, under the rear seats, but there's nothing but cab wall behind that so it's going to lose you any storage under or maybe even behind the seats.
You have roughly 700 pounds of battery and electronics and a more complex cooling and heating system involved - a whole lot of plumbing and valves. So how will Gladiator handle payload if you instantly add 700 pounds to the weight of the truck?
Towing - I would ask similar. You'd tow 6,000 pounds with a 2.0 turbo engine? I don't think so.
The batteries will only last 20-30 miles in electric mode without a head-wind and heavy load, After that it's in hybrid mode and then sometimes the electric part isn't available (weather conditions, etc.) so yes, you fall back on that 2.0 engine.
If they used a larger engine that could tow by itself with the electric assist down, or only partially available, I'd be looking at it myself.
But I have to wait and see how they can possibly add 700 pounds to the current payload to offset the battery and electric motor weight, and how they can tow 6,000 pounds with a 2.0 liter engine.
The reason the 2 door Wrangler can never be 4xe, and that they have dropped it for the EU is the inability to use electric with it.
So where will the space for batteries and the electronics and cooling system parts come from in a JT? I guess we wait and see.
Remember my complaints about putting the wiring harness for RSE power steps in a JLU 4xe - the thing is so jam-packed with shields and cooling lines and plumbing and wiring under there, it's a nightmare. The cross member you can easily see on a JT can't be seen on a JLU 4xe.

 

[Charles 236]

I feel your pain on the shields and plumbing under the 4xe. I have worked on a few, and space really is at a premium. I just don't see the 4xe being a valid drivetrain for the Gladiator, for the same reasons you listed. Plus, I don't see how a Gladiator, with the long wheel base, could avoid dragging some of the undercarriage when off-roading. Especially wouldn't care to risk damage to the PIM (Power Inverter Module).

 

[Oilburner]

Good to see that some folks understand the challenges with making a hybrid JT. So tired of seeing posts: “They have a 4xe Wrangler just put it in a Gladiator”
Unless they can make the battery take up 1/2 the space & hold twice the energy, I don’t see a path to a viable solution. (Assuming the new I-6 is successful)

 

[Gypsysoul]

Why can’t they put the battery under/as the bed, or even the sides and front of the bed? I had a 2.0 wrangler before the JT and it towed our 22’ overall travel trailer fine (3450 lbs on sticker, but more like 4500-5000 loaded). It got walked a little bit from the weight and size difference, but with the gladiator I don’t even use the anti sway bar, just the weight distribution.

Now the engine power on the 2.0 was much much better than the 3.6, acceleration faster, held speed better, no gear hunting and it was happy at any speed on the highway while getting around 11mpg with regular fuel. The gladiator hates anywhere between 60 and 70 (gear hunting). Temperature wise I think it was about the same for engine and transmission. My biggest notice was in the mountains, the 2.0 would go up a long and steep grade at the same engine speed as flat ground, or darn near it, while the gladiator screams just to maintain speed, and even loses it at times… downhill the BSG required no braking and held speed exactly where I left off the gas pedal and tapped the breaks (which is so awesome in my opinion).

I beg you jeep, if you’re watching to find a way to make the 4xe happen in the gladiator. I will be first in line!

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Why can’t they put the battery under/as the bed, or even the sides and front of the bed? I had a 2.0 wrangler before the JT and it towed our 22’ overall travel trailer fine (3450 lbs on sticker, but more like 4500-5000 loaded). It got walked a little bit from the weight and size difference, but with the gladiator I don’t even use the anti sway bar, just the weight distribution.

Now the engine power on the 2.0 was much much better than the 3.6, acceleration faster, held speed better, no gear hunting and it was happy at any speed on the highway while getting around 11mpg with regular fuel. The gladiator hates anywhere between 60 and 70 (gear hunting). Temperature wise I think it was about the same for engine and transmission. My biggest notice was in the mountains, the 2.0 would go up a long and steep grade at the same engine speed as flat ground, or darn near it, while the gladiator screams just to maintain speed, and even loses it at times… downhill the BSG required no braking and held speed exactly where I left off the gas pedal and tapped the breaks (which is so awesome in my opinion).

I beg you jeep, if you’re watching to find a way to make the 4xe happen in the gladiator. I will be first in line!

You've got to be kidding - the 2.0 power better than a 3.6? Better acceleration? In gas-only mode a 4xe can't touch my 3.6 Sorry, gotta laugh at that. But then, the JL is a lot lighter than a JT. But still, what a joke. No way a 2.0 will out-do a 3.6 It only works out in a JL 4xe due to the electric assist.
I've got both - a 4xe Wrangler and a 3.6 JT and unless that little 2.0 has the electric assist, it can't get out of its own way compared to a 3.6
I've driven our 4xe when there wasn't enough juice for the electric components to aid the 2.0 and I had to listen to the poor thing try to wind up and move that heavy vehicle along and it was a joke.
Remember, the 4xe bits add about 700 pounds to the vehicle.
Take a typical Gladiator's payload, now subtract 700 from that payload - how much ya got left? Less than a 3.6 Grand Cherokee, I guarantee.
Towing - not possible with a 2.0 4xe. When you run out of electric and it's running on 2.0 alone, or with very little help from the electric, it won't get out of its own way.
You'll never tow with a 2.0 in a JT - the JT alone is heavier by hundreds of pounds than a 2.0 JL - it just can't do it.

Pure 2.0 is wimpy in a heavy vehicle. It's fine by itself in a Wrangler because the 2.0 Wrangler is so much lighter. It can move the JL around easily -until you add the weight of the hybrid parts.
You hit a good hilly area with a 4xe JT and you'll drain the batteries unless you have it in max regen mode.
You were abusing the shit out of that 2.0 Wrangler with that much weight, and proving you tow dangerously on the highway. That's irresponsible as heck using that short little light vehicle with the tiny engine to tow 5,000 pounds. Wow and yikes! 1500 over the, what, 3500 limit?
And like I said - you had a 2.0 - NOT a 4xe. Add 700+ pounds to your Wrangler and see how well it does with a 2.0

There's no room for batteries for these along the sides of the bed - it's a skinny area, and they'd have to add a lot of support to hold that weight up there, adding more weight to the equation.
If you move the weight back there, you have to support it, and you have to have more, longer cooling and heating lines to the batteries and have more cable distance. You want the batteries as close as possible to the motors, which also double as generators.

The JT is heavier all by itself, so you'll not get the 20 miles out of battery alone like the JL 4xe can. So you'll need MORE battery - that means more weight. Supporting 700+ pounds of battery weight takes steel. You'll be looking at a basic JT coming in at 6,000 pounds or more.

The JT would need to be completely re-engineered to make a 4xe.

Nope, it's not like you think it is. Owning both a 4xe and JT - I don't see it happening with any capacity to haul or tow in the present 4xe format.

 

[dcmdon]

If that hybrid was made by Toyota, whose been building them for 25 years and left most problems behind 20 years ago, this would be a NO Brainer.

big power
HUGE torque
great fuel economy
very reasonable cost with Government subsidies.

Unfortunately, even a quick perusal of the 4xE threads at JLWrangler shows a total shit show.

Some are great.
But if there are problems, the owners face.
1) extreme waits for basic parts
2) dealers who don't provide loaners during extended down time
3) techs who haven't been adequately trained
4) factory service reps who also havn't been adequately trained.

Its clearly a v1.0 effort with lots of flaws. But its good to see them attempt it.

If I kept my cars for less than 3 years or leased them, it would be an easy decision.
But i keep my vehicles for 10+ years and who knows how well supported it will be at that point in time. I may also take the gladiator out of normal daily driver rotation in 3 or 4 years and use it for weekends and work around the house. Used that way, I may have it until I die.

 

[Charles 236]

Just this Tuesday I was given the task of installing a trailer hitch receiver and wiring harness on a 2.0 Wrangler. Not a 4xe, just a plain 2.0. I couldn't help but wonder why it was even possible to add a trailer tow package to the vehicle configuration of a 2.0 Wrangler. It does well enough as a Wrangler base power train, but it isn't just the power and torque that would concern me when towing. It would be a case of the tail wagging the dog for much more than a small utility trailer or other equivalent size and weight trailer. I do feel that the 2.0 has an energetic "feel" for want of a better term, but I will take the 3.6 any day.

 

[bleda2002]

On paper and in measured action the 2.0 is a stronger motor than the 3.6 with a better torque curve (and more torque). It sounds like shit, and it takes more cooling (why it was not in the JT according to jeep), but unless HP and torque curves are being faked, its literally a slightly better 3.6 other than the turbo lag. That said there isnt a huge difference between the 2.0 and the 3.6, they're both pretty inadequate for a 6500lb truck.

There is 1 other plus to the 2.0 as well, it can easily be tuned to be over 300 hp and 350 torque with a flashcal and pcm swap.

For a 4xe JT, If quadratec could figure it out, i'm sure jeep can as well. Quadratec shoved the batteries at the front of the bed so it was right in the middle, also tucked way up to not worry about it smacking anything. Payload and towing would still be suspect, but the payload is pretty much just a stamp at what weight it was tested at so they could easily eat 400-500 of the 700 lbs like they did with 4xe wrangler. For towing, with out knowing what the real SAE test limiter was (thermal, braking, acceleration) there is a high chance it could come in right next to the diesel at 6000lbs since there is only a few hundred extra pounds comparatively.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

If that hybrid was made by Toyota, whose been building them for 25 years and left most problems behind 20 years ago, this would be a NO Brainer.

big power
HUGE torque
great fuel economy
very reasonable cost with Government subsidies.

Unfortunately, even a quick perusal of the 4xE threads at JLWrangler shows a total shit show.

Some are great.
But if there are problems, the owners face.
1) extreme waits for basic parts
2) dealers who don't provide loaners during extended down time
3) techs who haven't been adequately trained
4) factory service reps who also havn't been adequately trained.

Its clearly a v1.0 effort with lots of flaws. But its good to see them attempt it.

If I kept my cars for less than 3 years or leased them, it would be an easy decision.
But i keep my vehicles for 10+ years and who knows how well supported it will be at that point in time. I may also take the gladiator out of normal daily driver rotation in 3 or 4 years and use it for weekends and work around the house. Used that way, I may have it until I die.

Can't compare a Toyota hybrid to a PHEV made using a heavy brick blocky vehicle.
The 4xe forums show many long-term owners without major issues. I expect the Wrangler forums to be like these - a place where people gather to find comfort and support with their problems (a support group, listeners)
I did a lot of hours, even days, of research even asking local people who have them and found as of late, the problems are few. (2021 was a different animal and now mostly resolved. The bigger issues are the heater valves in the 4xe system)

The issues I see are some dealers just don't have experience.
Luckily, some of the people in management where I bought drive Wrangler 4xe. It's not their first rodeo. There's another dealership we've bought from in the past I'd not consider to work on our 4xe.
The JLU 4xe, considering the weight (heavier than a JT!) has fantastic torque and HP. It's better than my JT for sure. Look at the weights of the vehicles when comparing. A typical hybrid car, such as a Prius, it's not even 3400 pounds! Compare that to a 5,500 pound Wrangler 4xe??
The Toyota truck can't tow or haul what a JT Sport max tow can, and is a lighter truck with a twin turbo V6. It's also not a PHEV, but a hybrid as far as I know, so has a smaller battery setup.
Again, apples to oranges.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

On paper and in measured action the 2.0 is a stronger motor than the 3.6 with a better torque curve (and more torque). It sounds like shit, and it takes more cooling (why it was not in the JT according to jeep), but unless HP and torque curves are being faked, its literally a slightly better 3.6 other than the turbo lag. That said there isnt a huge difference between the 2.0 and the 3.6, they're both pretty inadequate for a 6500lb truck.

There is 1 other plus to the 2.0 as well, it can easily be tuned to be over 300 hp and 350 torque with a flashcal and pcm swap.

For a 4xe JT, If quadratec could figure it out, i'm sure jeep can as well. Quadratec shoved the batteries at the front of the bed so it was right in the middle, also tucked way up to not worry about it smacking anything. Payload and towing would still be suspect, but the payload is pretty much just a stamp at what weight it was tested at so they could easily eat 400-500 of the 700 lbs like they did with 4xe wrangler. For towing, with out knowing what the real SAE test limiter was (thermal, braking, acceleration) there is a high chance it could come in right next to the diesel at 6000lbs since there is only a few hundred extra pounds comparatively.

I've twice hit the pedal with our 4xe and found the 2.0 struggling to wind up and take off. In one case I was unable to pass another vehicle and had to stop trying. My JT would have made it.

Quadratec doesn't have to meet EPA regs and file annual reports and get permissions for things on a one-off vehicle. Jeep has to certify so many things, including passing the SAE tests for payload and such, and get the EPA to go along with 'em.
I don't consider that a fair comparison. I can build vehicles that would be very impractical for mass production, and pass safety and epa requirements.

Electric turbo would take care of lag - surprised Jeep isn't doing that on a PHEV. If I was building a turbo engine for one of my cars, I'd look at electric.

 

[bleda2002]

I've twice hit the pedal with our 4xe and found the 2.0 struggling to wind up and take off. In one case I was unable to pass another vehicle and had to stop trying. My JT would have made it.

Quadratec doesn't have to meet EPA regs and file annual reports and get permissions for things on a one-off vehicle. Jeep has to certify so many things, including passing the SAE tests for payload and such, and get the EPA to go along with 'em.
I don't consider that a fair comparison. I can build vehicles that would be very impractical for mass production, and pass safety and epa requirements.

Electric turbo would take care of lag - surprised Jeep isn't doing that on a PHEV. If I was building a turbo engine for one of my cars, I'd look at electric.

Chances are the JT wouldnt have made it, just been louder as it struggled especially if it was beyond that initial wake up moment for the 2.0. Other that right off idle, the 2.0 is just a better curve in general with that big long flat torque curve. Waking up that 2.0 though does take a half a second in our 4xe when we're stomping on it from pure electric though, its caught me more than once trying to find the grunt I know it has but not at that precise moment.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Chances are the JT wouldnt have made it, just been louder as it struggled especially if it was beyond that initial wake up moment for the 2.0. Other that right off idle, the 2.0 is just a better curve in general with that big long flat torque curve. Waking up that 2.0 though does take a half a second in our 4xe when we're stomping on it from pure electric though, its caught me more than once trying to find the grunt I know it has but not at that precise moment.

There's a problem with ours, then, because I'm so used to driving my JTs as daily drivers I know exactly what they will or won't do, and know when I can make it or not. I assumed the Wrangler could do what I knew my JT would do from years of experience with 'em - and it left me shocked. I could hear it struggle, scream, and wind up really tight - or tried to, but the Jeep just didn't follow the engine sound. It was like I was being held back by something.
Both were times I tried because I KNEW my JT would have done it - and was left surprised by the JL.
We were in our trips to/from Florida so it was purely hybrid mode. There was no "electric mode" left after 2 tanks of gas and hundreds of miles showing <1% on the battery gauge.
So it was total hybrid mode, engine was already running and had been for hours. It just didn't do it.
The HP in your chart is barely different - could be the weight difference as the Wrangler 4xe is a heavy beast for sure. The JT isn't all that heavy without accessories. Maybe the extra HP of the 2.0 is taken by the extra weight of the 4xe's systems.
HP is the work actually done - propelling weight a given distance in a given time, there's not a lot of difference between the two.

During normal driving when both sources of power are working the JLU 4xe does have zip and gets up and goes. But on the highway, stomping it after long drives, it just didn't have it. Around town, slower speeds, getting up to speed, the 4xe wins. Going 60 and stomping it - it fell on its face.

 

[Gypsysoul]

You have to be kidding me, towing up a 7.5% grade over 4 miles in my 2.0 JL I could accelerate at will, able to keep RPM under 3500 and maintain 65 mph; while in the JT I was actually losing speed, couldn’t keep it over 55, was almost redlining the thing the whole way up. Not to mention the turbo was a Sahara with the 3.73 and the JT is a rubicon with 4.10… Yea, no thanks, I’ll take the “wimpy turbo” any day. Even the power and torque curves show a much superior performance. Who wants to drive 5,500 plus RPM to get max power? It’s not like it’s a Ferrari with a cool sound!

I will never understand the hate that the 2.0 motor gets, people calling it a “base motor” when it was a $2,500 upgrade from the minivan motor.
Long term, I’m sure the 2.0 will be problematic, and I have heard of the 4xe woes, but my 3.6 gives me an MIL and shudders every few days and the dealer pulls the old “has to be doing it at the time you bring it in to diagnose it.” They are all crap cars and engines to be honest, pretty much everything is now a days, but it’s a fun crap car that goes off road, looks cool and can be driven partially dismantled with little need of tools or time.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

You have to be kidding me, towing up a 7.5% grade over 4 miles in my 2.0 JL I could accelerate at will, able to keep RPM under 3500 and maintain 65 mph; while in the JT I was actually losing speed, couldn’t keep it over 55, was almost redlining the thing the whole way up. Not to mention the turbo was a Sahara with the 3.73 and the JT is a rubicon with 4.10…

Apples to oranges. You are talking a lot of weight difference. The JT is much heavier than your JL
Depending on the configurations, can be as much as 800 pounds or more difference.
A JT Rubicon is a heavy beast. Gear ratio doesn't matter much with an automatic. The torque converter sees to that, and the auto simply won't hit the higher gears if it needs torque.
I can't see how you can compare two very different vehicles.
If you were comparing a 2.0 JL to a 3.6 JL, it would be more believable.
Throw 1,000 pounds in the back of that JL and then tow with it.

As far as 5,000 RPM - I guess you've never driven an LS-equipped Chevy, or certain Ford trucks? RPM is the name of the game and has been for many years. Funny how people are so against getting efficient power from RPM. Are you afraid it's going to blow up or something?

Again, compare LIKE FOR LIKE, not a light-weight JL to a heavy JT.

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